Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: Never Say Pie (Lexy Baker, #14) by Leighann Dobbs

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Book Review Never Say Pie Lexy Baker #14 by Leighann Dobbs

Never Say Pie (Lexy Baker, 14) by Leighann Dobbs opens with Lexy Baker catering a dinner and pie eating contest at her grandmother's retirement community.  When one of the residents is found face down in one of Lexy's pies for the pie eating contest, Lexy, Nans, and the rest of the gang take matters into their own hands to solve the case.

This edition in the Lexy Baker book series is written better than some of the books in the series.  Although I figured out who the killer was right off the bat, I couldn't figure out what the motive was, even though there were clues right in front of my face.  Leighann Dobbs did a great job with adding red herrings to the storyline because at one point I did second guess myself.

Since I was in a bit of a rut when it came to reading, Never Say Pie was the perfect book to help me start reading again because it was a fun, entertaining read.  Although, having a writer, who writes books about a baker that solves murders, was a little kitschy.  That aside, it was nice to revisit this series as I generally knew what to expect with this series, and it's nice to read a mystery book that isn't too gory.

All in all, I immensely enjoyed Never Say Pie (Lexy Baker, #14) by Leighann Dobbs.  I gave this book four out of five stars.  This is a perfect book, and series, if you enjoy reading books by authors Leslie Meier, Joanne Fluke, and Lee Hollis.

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